Tuesday, December 4, 2001

ASSOCIATED PRESS Hawaii receiver Ashley Lelie, who has broken UH career receiving records for yards and touchdowns, was named to the WAC first team yesterday.

Lelie catches
another honor

Manly Kanoa and Chris Brown join
the receiver on the conference's first team

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By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com

There were doubters before the season began.

Chris Brown was certainly strong enough. But could the former defensive lineman do the other things to successfully convert to middle linebacker?

After a season of running up against the junior from Damien and Kahaluu, Western Athletic Conference coaches were convinced that he did.

They voted Brown, along with Hawaii teammates Ashley Lelie and Manly Kanoa, to the All-WAC first team, which was announced yesterday.

"Good for him. He deserves it," Warrior defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "He was the glue that held us together, our emotional leader. He's the tough guy in the middle who made everybody play better. His toughness helped everybody.

"He did what was expected and more. As a former defensive lineman, one of the questions was (pass coverage). But he did that well, and he was good at the other things like making the checks, the blitzes, and stopping the run. He was everything you wanted."

Hawaii's WAC all-stars First Team Offense WR -- Ashley Lelie, Hawaii, 6-3, 178, Jr. OL -- Manly Kanoa, Hawaii, 6-5, 314, Sr. Defense LB -- Chris Brown, Hawaii, 6-1, 256, Jr. Second Team Offense OL -- Vincent Manuwai, Jr., Hawaii Defense DL -- Travis Laboy, Fr., Hawaii LB -- Pisa Tinoisamoa, Jr., Hawaii DB -- Nate Jackson, Sr., Hawaii Specialists PK -- Josh Scobee, So., Louisiana Tech P -- Mat McBriar, So., Hawaii ST -- Chad Owens, Fr., Hawaii

Brown was one of several UH defenders who played through pain and injury in helping the Warriors to a 5-3 conference record and 8-3 mark overall. He has been in on 107 tackles, averaging 9.5 stops per game, which is good enough for second in the league.

While Brown blossomed at a new position, Lelie became even better as a starter at wide receiver.

The accolades keep coming in for the junior from Radford High School who has established himself as one of the nation's best receivers. He leads the WAC in touchdowns with 17 and receiving yards per game at 131.9.

"(All-WAC) is an honor," said Lelie, who received the Warriors' MVP award at the team's banquet Sunday night. "There were a lot of good receivers in the league to beat out. Some people still think the WAC's not a good conference, but it is."

Lelie was named a third-team All-American by Football News two weeks ago, and has had to field numerous questions about whether he will make himself available for next spring's NFL Draft. He said all the attention hasn't hurt his focus as Hawaii prepares for its season finale Saturday against rival Brigham Young.

"It's all right. I just have to know how to block things out and concentrate," he said.

Kanoa, a senior left guard from Kamehameha Schools, helped solidify an offensive line that improved as the season went along. He has started 35 consecutive games.

"He's never missed a practice in the time I've been here, and I doubt he missed any before that," third-year offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh said. "He's been the glue, a very good technician, very smart guy. He worked tremendously hard this summer, finally grinded and worked himself to the max."

UH's second-team honorees are junior offensive lineman Vince Manuwai, sophomore defensive lineman Travis Laboy, junior linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, senior safety Nate Jackson, sophomore punter Mat McBriar and freshman special teams player Chad Owens.

Fresno State quarterback David Carr was named the Offensive Player of the Year and his FSU teammate Alan Harper is the Defensive Player of the Year.

Nevada running back Chance Kretschmer was voted Freshman of the Year and Louisiana Tech's Jack Bicknell is the Coach of the Year.

Nevada's Kika Kaululaau, a senior offensive lineman from Waianae, also made the second team.

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First Team

Offense

WR: Bernard Berrian, Fresno State, 6 feet 2 inches, 190 pounds, Jr.
WR: Ashley Lelie, Hawaii, 6-3, 178, Jr.
TE: Jeb Putzier, Boise State, 6-5, 234, Sr.
OL: Matt Hill, Boise State, 6-6, 298, Sr.
OL: Mike Stovall, Fresno State, 6-2, 290, Sr.
OL: Manly Kanoa, Hawaii, 6-5, 314, Sr.
OL: Damian Lavergne, Louisiana Tech, 6-6, 344, Sr.
OL: Chris Fe'esago, San Jose State, 6-3, 328, Sr.
QB: David Carr, Fresno State, 6-3, 225, Sr.
RB: Brock Forsey, Boise State, 5-11, 198, Jr.
RB: Chance Kretschmer, Nevada, 6-2, 220, Fr.

Defense

DL: Alan Harper, Fresno State, 6-2, 285, Sr.
DL: Nick Burley, Fresno State, 6-4, 250, Jr.
DL: Brandon Green, Rice, 6-3, 251, Jr.
DL: Kevin Aldridge, SMU, 6-1, 271, Sr.
LB: Chris Brown, Hawaii, 6-1, 256, Jr.
LB: Dan Dawson, Rice, 6-2, 200, Sr.
LB: Vic Viloria, SMU, 5-10, 237, Jr.
DB: Quintin Mikell, Boise State, 5-10, 197, Jr.
DB: Vernon Fox, Fresno State, 5-10, 200, Sr.
DB: Bobby Gray, Louisiana Tech, 6-1, 210, Sr.
DB: Jonas Rutledge, SMU, 5-10, 174, So.

Specialists

PK: Asen Asparuhov, Fresno State, 6-5, 215, Jr.
P: Jason Simpson, Fresno State, 6-1, 185, Jr.
ST: Bernard Berrian, Fresno State, 6-2, 190, Jr.

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Top Individual Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: David Carr, Sr., QB, Fresno State
Defensive Player of the Year: Alan Harper, Sr., DT, Fresno State
Freshman of the Year: Chance Kretschmer, RB, Nevada
Coach of the Year: Jack Bicknell, Louisiana Tech

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Second Team

Offense

WR: Rodney Wright, Sr., Fresno State
WR: Edell Shepherd, Sr., San Jose State
WR: Lee Mays, Sr., UTEP
OL: Fitu Tu'ua, So., Fresno State
OL: Vincent Manuwai, Jr., Hawaii
OL: Kika Kaululaau, Sr., Nevada
OL: Heath Fowler, Sr., Rice
OL: Billy Harvin, Sr., Rice
QB: Luke McCown, So., Louisiana Tech
RB: Paris Gaines, Sr., Fresno State
RB: Joe Smith, Jr., Louisiana Tech
RB: Jarmar Julien, Jr., San Jose State

Defense

DL: Travis Laboy, Fr., Hawaii
DL: Jamie Nichols, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL: Horacio Leyva, Sr., Nevada
DL: Drew McLaughlin, Sr., Tulsa
LB: Greg Sasser, Sr., Boise State
LB: Maurice Rodriguez, Sr., Fresno State
LB: Pisa Tinoisamoa, Jr., Hawaii
LB: Curtis Randall, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DB: Devon Banks, Sr., Fresno State
DB: Nate Jackson, Sr., Hawaii
DB: Jason Hebert, Sr., Rice
DB: D.J. Walker, Jr., UTEP

Specialists

PK: Josh Scobee, So., Louisiana Tech
P: Mat McBriar, So., Hawaii
ST: Chad Owens, Fr., Hawaii

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